Major league baseball player Aaron Judge made news in July by breaking Joe DiMaggio's record for most home runs scored by a New York Yankees rookie. Then he made news again, this time for breaking something else. Following their game-winning home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 11th inning, the Yanks met for a spontaneous victory celebration at home plate. It was all fun and games… until an errant helmet accidentally slammed into Judge's mouth, breaking off half his left front tooth. Ouch!

Even if you're not playing big-league baseball, accidents sometimes happen. So what's the best dental treatment if you chip or break a tooth? It all depends on how much is broken off.

When a tooth has a small chip in it, dental bonding may be sufficient. Layering on tooth-colored bonding material results in a natural look, and it can be completed in one dental visit. However, bonding material in time will discolor, and it is not as strong as real tooth structure, so eventually it may need re-treatment.

Dental veneers or crowns may be used to restore more seriously damaged teeth. Veneers, thin porcelain shells that cover the front surface of teeth, can be used to restore minor to moderate chips. A crown (“cap”) is used when the damage is greater and more structural support is required. A crown replaces the visible part of the tooth above the gum line.

When the soft pulp tissue inside the tooth is damaged, root canal treatment will be needed to save the tooth. Despite the outdated rumors some people have heard, root canal procedures don't cause pain — they actually relieve it. During the procedure, exposed or infected pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is sealed. Then a lifelike crown is placed so the tooth looks as good as new.

If the tooth cannot be saved — for example, it breaks off below the gum line — a dental implant may be your best option. Dental implants are small titanium posts that are surgically inserted and then capped with an artificial crown. Implant-supported teeth can last a lifetime and are usually indistinguishable from natural teeth.

So what happened with Judge's tooth? Thanks to a Friday morning visit to the dentist, he was smiling again with a temporary crown — and smiling over the fact that his tooth garnered more attention than the Yankees' dramatic 11th inning win.